Tough Stretch Continues as Orange Travels to Notre Dame Sunday

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Orange (17-10, 7-7) will face its third straight ranked opponent, and second in a row on the road, Sunday, Feb. 24 when it squares off against #21/21 Notre Dame (20-5, 10-3) at 2 p.m. in the Joyce Center. Syracuse has split its last two outings, defeating #8/8 Georgetown at home and losing at #23/23 Louisville on Monday.

Sunday’s game in South Bend represents another opportunity for the Orange to secure a marquee conference road win heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Voice of the Orange Matt Park will have the call on the Syracuse ISP Network’s flagship (TK-99.5 FM) with the pre-game show beginning an hour before tipoff. The radio network broadcast is available live on Orange All-Access. The game will also be televised live nationally on CBS.

The Irish must be a welcome sight for sophomore Paul Harris. Harris had two of the best games of his rookie year against them last season. Harris averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds against the Irish in 2006-07, including 24 points and 15 rebounds versus Notre Dame in the second round of the BIG EAST Tournament.

Harris has been in double figures in each of the last seven games and was of two players to reach double digits (13 points) in SU’s loss at Louisville.

Center Arinze Onuaku joined Harris in double figures, finishing with a game-best 16 points against the Cardinals. Onuaku pulled out of mini slump, going 5-for-7 from the floor and hitting 6-of-10 free throws.

Onuaku is still on pace to set the SU season record for field goal percentage. He leads the BIG EAST, and ranks sixth nationally, at 65.6 percent, two tenths of a point better than Roosevelt Bouie who set the standard in 1979-80.

Harris, Onuaku and the rest of the Orange will have their hands full as the Joyce Center is one of the toughest places in the nation for a visiting team to emerge victorious. Notre Dame came from behind in the second half Thursday to defeat Pittsburgh at home, extending its home winning streak to 35 games, which is the third-longest in the country. Its last home loss came against Marquette back on Feb. 26, 2006. The Irish has won 16 home league games in row.

The Irish’s victory Thursday secured head coach Mike Brey’s fifth 20-win season in eight years and keeps Notre Dame in the hunt to receive a first-round bye in the league championship.

Brey’s charges lead the conference in most statistical categories including scoring average (80.3 ppg), free-throw percentage (74.3 pct.), 3-point field goal percentage (40.1), rebounding (43.5 rpg), rebounding margin (+8.5), assists per game (18.48) and defensive rebounds per game (29.12).

BIG EAST Player of the Year candidate Luke Harangody has been dominant on the low block. He leads the league in scoring (23.1 ppg) and rebounding (11.8 rpg) and was right on both of those marks against the Panthers, finishing with 23 points and 12 boards.

Guard Tory Jackson owns the overall conference lead in assists (6.2 apg) and he is tied with Connecticut’s A.J. Price for the most assists against conference foes (82). Jackson is averaging 8.4 points per game.

Jackson’s backcourt mate Kyle McAlarney is scoring in double figures at 15.1 points per contest. He leads the BIG EAST in 3-pointers made (81) and 3-point field goal percentage (44.3 pct.).

Forward Rob Kurz is averaging 12.1 points per game. Kurz is second in the BIG EAST in overall free-throw percentage (87.0 pct). He has made 51 of his 54 attempts (94.4 pct.) in league play, which leads the conference.

Syracuse holds the advantage in the overall series, 21-17. The Orange has won three of the last five meetings, including two at the Joyce Center.

Syracuse University Athletics

Tough Stretch Continues as Orange Travels to Notre Dame Sunday

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